One of my favorite quotes about leadership comes from a legendary American football coach, Vince Lombardi: "Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else—through hard work." It should be no surprise of course that leadership plays an important part in sports. Fostering teamwork and discipline, inspiring others to perform at their best, and, cultivating a positive and focused mindset are essential elements of leadership in sports or in any field for that matter.

While some people may have natural traits that would help them in leadership positions later on in life, my own thinking is that leadership is a skill that people develop over time by overcoming challenges, absorbing knowledge, and cultivating hard work and perseverance. These same principles apply in business and life in general.

I cannot recall if I had the “innate qualities” of leadership but I know that many of the skills, knowledge and values that I found useful to become a successful leader in both business and politics were nurtured by my life’s experiences. The values of sipag at tiyaga was taught to me by my mother as I helped her sell shrimps and fish at a very young age. The knowledge, concepts and principles of business and management I learned from my studies in the University of the Philippines. And more importantly, the decisiveness, strategic thinking, and adaptability, I acquired by facing head on and surviving the various crises I faced not just in business but in politics as well.

Leadership is tested during crises. It is easy to be a good leader during times of stability. The mettle of a leader is tested during times of volatility and turmoil. Leadership in business is often described as the ability to guide others toward achieving common goals. Textbooks tell us that leadership is about vision, communication, and motivation. A good leader, my professors told me, not only sets a clear direction but also inspires their team to work together, adapt to challenges, and seize opportunities.

But what do you do when your business encounters severe headwinds caused by financial crises in the region, or by a pandemic that virtually paralyzes the economy, or by geopolitical circumstances that are beyond your control? During times of uncertainty, strong leadership can mean the difference between the survival and collapse of a business. The fact of the matter is that while there are general principles of leadership that we can learn from books and other people, nothing beats the knowledge and training we get from actual experience. Leadership does not function in a vacuum rather it needs to take into consideration sociocultural, and, political and economic contexts.

For instance, theory tells us that we need to make decisions only after gathering and knowing all the facts. This is what we call making an informed decision. But during a crisis, a leader sometimes needs to make quick decisions so he can minimize harm to his enterprise and maintain continuity. This, for instance, is something I learned on the job: leaders must sometimes make snap decisions, even when all information is not available. These decisions, which will make or break your business, is often made on instinct or gut feel. These are not careless or reckless decisions but decisions that are the product of experiences allowing leaders to respond quickly and intuitively, especially in complex or uncertain situations.

Leaders, of course, cannot lead on gut feel alone. Good leadership must balance instinct with rational decision making. This combination of instinct and analysis play a critical role in navigating the complex business landscape, especially during times of rapid change and uncertainty. I cannot tell you how much of the decisions I made are from instinct and what percentage are from deliberate analysis but I can tell you that good leaders need both. A leader who only relies on instinct is irresponsible while a leader who depends solely on analytical decisions is bound to fail.

Being a leader is not about power, privilege, or recognition. It is about steady resolve during difficult times. Leadership in crisis is the unwavering light that guides through darkness and uncertainty.